Favorite Olympics Moment

[Rondoraymundo]

Originally Posted by HDRider

I've actually always felt that the Soviets were the superior team from a technical perspective. What they didn't have, and what I believe to be the reason they lost, was the heart and the drive of the Americans.

That makes all the difference in the world.

The American forwards were faster than the Soviets that night. And where do you think that American heart and soul came from? It came from the last player to be cut from the 1960 gold medal team!!!!!!

The Soviets were Out-coached.

[Dirk Hofman]

Originally Posted by M19

Miracle on Ice, baby!

Not only best Olympic moment, best sports moment in my lifetime.

[AmericanEagle]

USA beating Russia in hockey

[Shoreline Music]

Originally Posted by veryzer

For me, the most poignant thing in sports is winning, not the emotional bits and pieces. But I make an exception for this. In my mind, one of the purist moments in sports:

Gets me every time.

[Dirk Hofman]

Bill Johnson winning gold in the men's downhill in Sarajevo is my #2 moment. First American to medal, ever in the event and he wins it. RIP Bill.

[dekutree64]

I feel like I'm forgetting a lot of them, but one that comes to mind is the landing of the first YOLO flip by Iouri Podladtchikov in the last winter games.

[sled]

Originally Posted by Rondoraymundo

The American forwards were faster than the Soviets that night. And where do you think that American heart and soul came from? It came from the last player to be cut from the 1960 gold medal team!!!!!!

The Soviets were Out-coached.

Yep, which is especially brilliant as the Soviets were basically a pro team that played together for years, and did it for a living, while the American team were college boys from different schools who played together for 6 months.

[MikeB1]

Originally Posted by Jim_G

My standout memory comes to me instantly even though it goes back to 1972. Dave Wottle, from Bowling Green Kentucky, coming from dead last to first in every heat, and the finals, of the 800 with a lethal kick and wearing a goofy hat.

I remember this! Please correct me if I'm wrong Jim, but I think I remember the announcer's call of that final kick...."He's got one Kenyan.....He's got the other Kenyan."

Also, what about the Jamaican bobsled team!

[Gitfiddlemann]

For me it was the downhill run by Franz Klammer in the '76 Olympics. Klammer had the ability to know where the line was between ultimate speed and disaster. And that's where he pushed it to in those Olympics to snatch the gold medal away from the Swiss. An incredible run from the ultimate "Extreme" athlete.
https://youtu.be/tVMJKIx34SE

[grampa]

It was the Winter Games in Utah. The Women's Figure Skating. The favorites had some slip ups and the number two American, I think her name was Sarah Fisher, only had to do a pretty much flawless routine which was not as spectacular as the two favorites, but not easy. As she was finishing her mistake free routine with a spin, the camera focused on the young skater's coach and you could feel her absolute joy as she realized her little skater was about to win Olympic Gold. I it still gets to me.
That or Billy Mills winning the 10,000 meters in Japan.

[Jim_G]

Originally Posted by MikeB1

I remember this! Please correct me if I'm wrong Jim, but I think I remember the announcer's call of that final kick...."He's got one Kenyan.....He's got the other Kenyan."
!

Your memories are even better than mine Mike. I can easily imagine that, but I don't quite remember specifically what the announcers were saying.

He forgot to take that hat off while he was standing on the podium either, I just caught that on wikipedia a moment ago. I didn't remember that either. The hat and the kick pushed out all the other details I suppose. ;-)

[fazool]

Miracle on Ice.

A couple points about that (lost to history):

The USA did not win the gold in that round - beating the Soviets advanced them to play against Finland, which gave us the Gold.

We watched that series intently, especially interested since it was happening in our home state.

The Soviets played dirty. Back then the breakaway nets were still fairly new and several times when the USA had a breakaway or a 2 -on-1 the Soviet goalie would elbow the crossbar and the net would dislodge and the ref would stop the game. It happened repeatedly. They claimed they weren't used to the breakaway pipes.

[HDRider]

Originally Posted by fazool

Miracle on Ice.

A couple points about that (lost to history):

The USA did not win the gold in that round - beating the Soviets advanced them to play against Finland, which gave us the Gold.

I've always known that to be common knowledge.

[CoolerKing]

Definitely Nancy Kerrigan getting whacked in the leg. "Why? Why?"

Just kidding.

Probably Michael Phelps beating Thorpedo by a fingerprint in the 100 meter in Beijing.

[Bob Womack]

Three come to mind:

The Kerri Strug moment

The former Soviet Union athletes at the next Olympics, their costs paid by U.S. supporters who want to see them compete but having no flag or national anthem. There was just something about the combination of circumstances.

And then there was a rifle marksmanship moment. The U.S. had an Army rifle marksman who was considered the finest rifle marksman in the world but three years prior to the Olympics he was assigned to duty on an island in Hawaii that had no rifle range. For three years, every night after supper he went into his bedroom where he had a bullseye taped to the wall and he practiced. He dry-fired the entire procession of qualifying, Olympic elimination, finals, the last round, a tie, and then a shoot-off for the medal.Every shot he would fire in the competition. Every night. Three years. By doing that he practiced his trigger control, breathing, position, sight picture, and mindset. He envisioned the whole chain of events. The year of the Olympics the Army allowed him temporary duty to compete. He arrived at qualifications with only a few days to spare and dived right in, not having fired a live rifle shot for three years. He qualified first. Unlike some of the other sports, the qualifications for marksmanship were held just before the Olympics, so he was fitted with his kit and sent to the games. At the games he worked his way up the chain to the final two, where he tied the marksman from another country who was favored to win, so there was a shoot-off. Having already rehearsed this stage every night for three years, the Army marksman shot his best. The favorite buckled under the psychological pressure of the unexpected shoot-off and this man, indeed, took the gold. Now that is will power.

Bob